Semiconductor memory arrays can be fabricated using floating gates (i.e., unconnected gates) that control current flow through the devices of the array. One type of floating gate device used to construct memory arrays is referred to as a flash EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory).
A flash EEPROM memory array includes multiple cells that can be erased using a single erasing operation. Typically, a flash EEPROM cell includes a floating gate, that controls current flow through a channel region of a field effect transistor (FET). The floating gate is separated from a source and drain of the FET by a thin gate oxide layer. The flash EEPROM cell also includes an elongated control gate located in a direction transverse to the source and drain of the FET. The control gates can be the word lines, and the sources and drains of the FETs can be the bit lines of the memory array.
In operation of the flash EEPROM cell, the presence of electrons in the floating gate alters the normal operation of the FET, and the flow of electrons between the source and drain of the FET. Programming of the flash EEPROM can be accomplished by hot-electron injection into the floating gate. With one type of EEPROM cell, the erasing mechanism can be electron tunneling off the floating gate to the substrate. In a memory array with this type of EEPROM cell, the individual cells are electrically isolated from one another such that the individual cells can be selectively erased.
Conventional floating gate arrays, such as flash EEPROM arrays, utilize a thermally grown field oxide (FOX) to electrically isolate adjacent cells in the array. One problem with a thermally grown field oxide is that the surface of the field oxide has a non-planar topography. With a non-planar topography, the size and spacing of features on subsequently deposited and patterned layers, such as interconnect layers, is limited by the depth of focus of conventional photolithography exposure tools. This limits the feature sizes of the array.
Another problem with field oxide isolation is that the source and drain regions of the FETs of the array can be degraded due to exposure to temperature cycles during growth of the field oxide. This can cause the source and drain regions to become less efficient in the generation of hot electrons for injection through the gate oxide layer into the floating gate.
Another consideration in the formation of floating gate devices is the alignment of the floating gates relative to other elements of the device. For example, one type of flash EEPROM cell has a floating gate which extends across the channel region of an FET. Alignment of the floating gate to the channel region requires a critical alignment step. Consequently the floating gates of flash EEPROMs have sometimes been made larger than necessary to insure alignment of the floating gates with the channel regions. In addition to alignment, a thickness of the floating gates is a critical dimension that can affect capacitive coupling between the floating gates and the control gates of flash EEPROMs. In the past the thickness of the floating gates has been difficult to control, and the floating gates have been made thicker than necessary.
The present invention is directed to a method for fabricating floating gate devices in which trench isolation, such as shallow trench isolation (STI), rather than a thermally grown field oxide, is used to electrically isolate adjacent cells. In addition, the method employs chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) to self align the floating gates relative to other elements of the devices.